Fires in Lake County
Everyone has lost a bunch. Insurance does not always cover everything. I have many friends that have lost their homes, garages, out buildings, furniture, appliances, along with cars, pickups, motor homes, travel trailers, motorcycles, kids toys and precious family heirlooms that are not replaceable. Most of those things came from a prior generation and you cannot always remember everything in detail.
I have been complaining about having some type of control burns in Lake County for years and most people laugh it off. When you have control burns, as you know, they are to get rid of the fuel that would not have been there and would have been burnt prior in a control burn and would not get out of hand as it did. I have some major questions for politicians and I would like to see answers in the Record Bee of why and how come.
I was reading in the Press Democrat that Cal Fire has $40 million in an account from fire fees paid by Lake County residents and I think that it would be a good time to use some of that money to help rebuilding. Now the money is in an account, a big shot account, so we can do what we want with the money when we want to do it, and like I have stated in the past, Sacramento is hazardous to your health in more ways than one … or maybe we should do like Governor Brown and get state agencies to donate their time to do some things on your property like he did. If they can do it in Williams at his ranch why can’t they do it in Lake County? We need a donation in Lake County more so than he does at his ranch.
What I want to know from our senators or congressmen how we go about getting some of these problems solved a couple are running for re election and I understand a couple of them opened an office in Lake County for support on the re-election. Maybe at the same time they try to get re-elected they might use some ideas from the voters to help Lake County regarding the fire areas and rebuilding.
I feel that they should answer regarding the $40 million why we have not used any of that money for what it was collected for and when will it be used and when will we have controlled burns again so these fires will not happen again due to lack of stupidity and lack of effort. Our firefighters worked very hard risking their lives on a daily basis and a lot of them were miles and miles from their homes and lived out in the bush, when they could have been home with their family. Some of them lost their lives and this is totally unnecessary if we could have done smart thinking back then. I would like to know what politician has the guts to respond to this letter in our local newspaper.
Ron Rose, Lakeport
Already answered
What is Trey Gowdy really trying to get with the Select Committee on Benghazi? He says, “Questions about why our people in Libya and Benghazi made so many requests for additional security personnel and equipment and why those requests were denied. Questions about what policies the United States was pursuing in Libya that required a Temporary Mission Facility in Benghazi that did not come close to meeting security specifications. Questions about what our leaders in Washington did during the pendency of the attacks. Questions about why the post-attack narratives presented to the American public were changing, conflicting and ultimately wrong.” — Trey Gowdy/Washington Post Opinion/2015 Oct. 21
Four unanswered questions. No security. Why a mission in Benghazi. What were the leaders doing. Why the changing story that never got it right. Did he not read the paper or listen to the news from then to now? The ARB? The other committee reports?
On Wednesday morning, CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien asked Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) if he had “voted to cut the funding for embassy security.” “Absolutely,” Chaffetz said. “Look we have to make priorities and choices in this country. We have … 15,000 contractors in Iraq … And we’re talking about can we get two dozen or so people into Libya to help protect our forces. When you’re in tough economic times, you have to make difficult choices. You have to prioritize things.”
In fiscal year 2011, lawmakers shaved $128 million off of the administration’s request for embassy security funding. House Republicans drained off even more funds in fiscal year 2012 — cutting back on the department’s request by $331 million. Huffington Post 2012/10/10
“But Chris chose to go to Benghazi because he understood America had to be represented there at that pivotal time. He knew that eastern Libya was where the revolution had begun and that unrest there could derail the country’s fragile transition to democracy.” — Hillary Clinton before the House Select Committee 2015/10/22
And of course, as everyone knows without a doubt, all the leaders were issuing stand down orders. How can you do that if you are at home asleep?
“Two separate Special Operations forces were instructed to stand down. Senior military and intelligence sources informed Fox News that a force specializing in counterterrorism rescues which was already in place at Sigonella could have reached Benghazi within less than two hours.” — Forbes Opinion/Larry Bell/Nov 1, 2012
As to the changing story, which CIA deputy director Morell said never came from the intelligence community, per three Congressional hearings came from the intelligence community. The Washington Post even had this front page headline the morning after the attack.
“Libya consulate attack came after militants joined protesters, say witnesses, officials” — Washington Post/September 12, 2012
So why is congressman Gowdy searching for answers that we already have? Could it be that he doesn’t like the ones he already has? Or does he believe that the lame stream media creates the news instead of reporting it?
Kevin Bracken, Kelseyville
Where will Brown be?
I was not surprised to read Supervisor Rob Brown’s announcement that he is again running for Lake County Supervisor in 2016.
While he has been working nonstop to help with problems due to the Valley Fire which includes District 5, I wish to point out a civil suite number CV415023, a complaint against Rob Brown for allegedly burning down his neighbor’s barn and 20 acres of his neighbor’s land during a control burn that Rob started on his own property. That control burn allegedly went out of control.
Jan and Bob Sanders have hired Sonoma County Attorney Chris Krankeman who filed an appeal in San Francisco Federal Court regarding CV413596. I went to hearing in which Lake County Judge Blum granted a dismissal without prejudice of charges against Brown, which allows the possibility for the Sanders to refile charges against Brown in the future. At that hearing the Sanders told Judge Blum they plan to refile CV413596 in another court after they file an appeal.
Added to that, Brown’s divorce trial has been set forward to March 9, 2016.
Brown may be in court in 2016, answering to allegations in these cases.
May God help us all.
Joan Moss, Kelseyville
